Let's look at the differences in types of sugars available.
This will give you the opportunity to know what empty sweeteners are out there and which sugars are better to use.
Lactose: Sugar from milk. "Lactose intolerance" - caused by the sugar in milk
Maltose: Sugar from malt
Fructose: Sugar from fruit
Dextrose: Sugar from starch "corn sugar"
Sucrose: Refined sugar from sugar cane or beets
A little more about…
Lactose or milk sugar: occurs in the milk of mammals - 4-6% in cow's milk and 5-8% in human milk. It is also a by product in the the manufacture of cheese. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey.
Maltose or malt sugar: Other names Maltose; Malt sugar; Maltobiose ... Maltose, or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) linkage. Maltose is not common in food, but can be formed from the digestion of starch, and is heavy in the sugar in malt, the juice of barley and other grains.
Fructose: Fructose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar), which the body can use for energy. Because it does not cause blood sugar rise tremendously (has a low glycemic index), it was once thought that fructose was a good substitute for sucrose (table sugar). However, the American Diabetes Association and nutritional experts have changed their stance. A small amount of fructose, such as the amount found in most vegetables and fruits, is not a bad thing and there is evidence that a little bit may help your body process glucose properly. However, consuming too much fructose at once seems to overwhelm the body's capacity to process it. Most of the carbohydrates we eat are made up of chains of glucose. When glucose enters the bloodstream, the body releases insulin to help regulate it. Fructose, on the other hand, is processed in the liver. In basic terms when too much fructose enters the liver, the liver can't process it all fast enough for the body to use as sugar. Instead, it starts making fats from the fructose and sending them off into the bloodstream as triglycerides. This is potentially bad for at least three reasons: High blood triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease. Fructose ends up circumventing the normal appetite signaling system, so appetite-regulating hormones aren't triggered--and you're left feeling unsatisfied. This is probably at least part of the reason why excess fructose consumption is associated with weight gain. Fruits and vegetables have relatively small, "normal" amounts of fructose that most bodies can handle quite well. All fructose works the same in the body, whether it comes from corn syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, strawberries, onions, or tomatoes. Only the amount that enters is different. For example, a cup of chopped tomatoes has 2.5 grams of fructose, a can of regular (non-diet) soda supplies 23 grams, and a super-size soda has about 62 grams. It’s the amount of sugar you take in that matters.
High Fructose Corn syrup: High fructose corn syrup has become incredibly inexpensive and abundant, partially due to corn subsidies in the United States. So, really, the problem is more that it has become so cheap that it has crept its way into a great number of the foods we eat every day. This is a reason to be of concern. We should have it in moderation, but if it is in the majority of processed food we eat everyday, are we NOT having it in moderation. This is where the concern continues to show red flags. HCFS is a food additive and preservative. Most is made from genetically altered corn(GMO). It is ground into a fine powder and then it is broken down further with a fungus and a bacterium through a process us la-men cant fathom. It has a longer shelf life in food than sugar. High fructose consumption is also implicated in heart disease, diabetes, interference with copper metabolism and liver cirrhosis.
Sucrose or cane sugar: sucrose (sOO'krōs) [key], commonest of the sugars, a white, crystalline solid disaccharide (see carbohydrate) with a sweet taste, melting and decomposing at 186°C to form caramel. It is known commonly as cane sugar, beet sugar, or maple sugar, depending upon its natural source. Pure sucrose is most often prepared as a fine, white, odorless, crystalline powder with a pleasing, sweet taste; the common table sugar. The most wholesome cane products have their trace nutrients intact. Two such domestically available cane sugars, Rapadura and Sucanat, are 90% crystalline sucrose enveloped in 10% mineral-rich cooked cane juice. Rapadura is known to be more flavorful and satisfyingly sweet.
Rapadura and Sucanat are available in quality food stores and on line.
Dextrose: Sugar from starch "corn sugar"is the commercial name used for the crystalline glucose produced from starch. If the crystallized dextrose (glucose) contains no water, it is listed as “dextrose anhydrous” or “anhydrous dextrose” in an ingredient statement. If the crystallized dextrose contains one molecule of water, it will be listed as “dextrose” or “dextrose monohydrate” in an ingredient statement. The majority of the dextrose listed in food ingredient statements begin as cornstarch.
Cane Sweeteners Masquerading as “Healthful” Typically, the following cane products are refined to pure sucrose and then “painted” with a little molasses to lightly color and flavor the sugar. They are NOT recommended because they lack trace nutrients. Unfortunately “natural,” “whole” and “unrefined” are open terms without legal protection.Brown SugarDemreraraEvaporated Cane JuiceFlorida CrystalsMuscovadoNaturally Milled Organic Cane JuiceOrganic Plantation Milled SugarOrganic Whole Cane SugarRaw sugarSugar-in-the-RawTurbinadoUnrefined Cane JuiceWhole CaneYellow-DOther more known sugars you find easily; Organic Sugar, Brown Sugar, Raw Sugar
Next let’s learn about sugar substitutes. Sugar substitutes are processed chemicals to make sugar. Most of the time they are a lot sweeter than sugar. Some people think that is a good thing, but honestly the more sweet taste your body wants, the more you are going to give it. Which is increasing your sugar intake and as we all know is not a good thing. Instead of using substitutes use the closest natural form of sugar and use it in moderation.
In case you aren’t sure what sugar substitutes are I have included some additional information.
Aspartame— You might recognize aspartame as the product contained in the blue packet with "Nutra Sweet" printed on the front. You will also find aspartame in diet soft drinks, coffee and tea.
Acesulfame-K — Also know as "Ace-K," this sugar substitute is actually two hundred times sweeter than sugar!
Cyclamate — This is the sugar substitute used by Weight Watchers. It's sweeter than sugar, about ten times sweeter, so keep this in mind when opening a package of "Sugar Twin" Or “weight watcher” products.
Sucralose — Sucralose is what is contained in a yellow packet of "Splenda." Sucralose is six hundred times sweeter than sugar.
Saccharine — The main ingredient in the popular pink-packets of "Sweet N Low," saccharine is one of the more well-known sugar substitutes. Saccharine is known to be used to sweeten drinks of all temperatures and in place of sugar in recipes.
I do not recommend any of the ABOVE as they are chemicals not real food!
Some sweetners to consider:
Honey: Take away the water from honey and it’s about as sugary as white sugar. Honey does, however, retain nearly all of the flower nectars’ original nutrients. In comparison to table sugar, it is “minimally” refined. When buying honey buy local, unpasteurized, wild flower honey. Buying locally supports the local economy and, if you have pollen allergies, may decrease your allergic response to pollen. Unlike pasteurized honey, raw honey is not mucus forming and it retains its medicinal properties (it helps ease constipation and fluid retention, and according to Oriental medicine, tones the pancreas).
Agave Nectar: The sap of a cactus-like desert plant, agave, is a remarkably abundant source of fructose (70%). This ranks it low on the glycemic index and makes it a healthy sweetener for non-insulin dependent diabetics. Thanks to agave syrup’s pleasant sweetness, versatility and moderate price, it is quickly becoming a popular food and beverage sweetener. Althought there is debate to know if our brain is processing it at a sugar. If you find yourself craving more sugar each time you have it, it’s not a good sugar alternative for you. Best to use in moderation.
Stevia: which is a South American shrub. Stevioside, the main ingredient in stevia is virtually calorie-free and hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar. That's why it appeals to so many people - Stevia is a healthy and safe alternative for Diabetics. FDA has turned down three industry requests to use stevia in foods in the U.S. That's why you don't see stevia on supermarket shelves next to the Sweet'N Low or Equal. But you can buy it in health food stores as a dietary supplement.
Maple and Birch Syrup: Two excellent and delicious sweeteners are concentrated sap from maple and birch trees. The sap is collected and its water is reduced (historically by evaporation, today by reverse osmosis). While maple syrup comes from northeastern United States, birch syrup is produced in Scandinavia and Alaska. Both are energy intensive and therefore pricey — it takes 40 gallons of maple sap, or 80 gallons of birch sap, to make one gallon of pure syrup.
The enzymes in our body digest the grains’ complex carbohydrates into a more simple sugar. Barley malt and rice or sorghum syrups are the most common.
Xylitol has been noted as dangerous - according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Xylitol, a pure crystalline chemical, or hydrogenated polyol, is typically a byproduct of the plywood industry but it may also synthesized from cornstalks.
Some Resources:
Laura Dolson- About.com
Charles Gallagher, C.P., C.P.T.Institute for Physical & Sports TherapySpokane, WA
BY REBECCA WOODFor the Mail Tribune
http://www.sugar.org/
